"I've killed a million copperhead and rattlesnakes here on the place, but that was the one time it was close," said Nelson.

In the 60 years he's lived in his house in Speedwell, a snake never got inside.

Until last week.

Credit: WBIR

Shelly the shelter cat

Nelson heard a noise in the middle of the night and thought it was just the cat playing. Then he saw it a couple days later.

"I got out and looked under the table and there laid a snake," said Nelson.

What he saw was a dead copperhead a couple feet long blending in to the kitchen floor.

"On the side of the snake's neck and head there were claw marks and one big slash, so we knew right then that the cat had definitely killed the snake and then brought it out a few days later to show it to her little dad," said Seals.